Services

Mystery over owner of vandalised bench

AN ELDERLY resident has criticised the length of time it has taken to fix a vandalised public bench he uses on his walk to town - yet no one seems to know who is responsible for fixing it.

Hugh Owen, who lives on Newtown Road, says the wooden seat outside the Marlow Community Hospital on Victoria Avenue which was destroyed by fire in early March is the only one on his mile-long walk to the High Street.

But after the MFP contacted the county, district and town councils about the matter, all three said they did not own or maintain the bench, and Buckinghamshire Health NHS Trust claims it does not own the land in question.

The 79-year-old, who is no longer able to drive, says he is now forced to walk the whole way without a rest and fears others have the same problem.

And now the concerned resident is calling for action after calling the council repeatedly for two months to try and get the problem sorted.

He said: "It is the only seat on the walk between Wiltshire Road and town. It has been completely torched and is totally ruined.

"The bench has been there for years. I use that seat as I am not that light on my feet anymore and I’ve given up driving.

"I am often down there at the doctors and it’s right by the hospital so lots of different people use it, and those with shopping bags coming from town. It is the only seat for a mile or more.

"I have rung the council but I was fobbed off twice. It has been like that for two months. If that was down on the Causeway I am sure it would have been done the next day. It’s just not good enough."

A resident brought the issue up at this week’s annual Marlow Town Council meeting, with town clerk Annie Jones saying she was investigating the matter as a priority.

Buckinghamshire Health NHS Trust, which operates the Marlow Community Hospital adjacent to the bench, says it does own the small patch of land

Spokesman Fiona Cordy said: "We have done as much as we can but it is not on our grounds. We are doing our best to find out who is responsible for it so we can get some help to fix it.

"We have lots of seating in the area for patients to sit down and rest if they need to."

The councils, parish, local,district and county all spend time and therefore money stating nothing is their responsibility. Yet, if you combined the costs of man time of all of them saying it is not their responsibility could have probably had a new one straight away.

The councils, parish, local,district and county all spend time and therefore money stating nothing is their responsibility. Yet, if you combined the costs of man time of all of them saying it is not their responsibility could have probably had a new one straight away.H22222

The councils, parish, local,district and county all spend time and therefore money stating nothing is their responsibility. Yet, if you combined the costs of man time of all of them saying it is not their responsibility could have probably had a new one straight away.

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here